FR: MDrummer - Polyrhythms // changing Time Signature

[Tyrs]

EDIT: Hi Vojtech, can you please do some math magic, so it will be less complicated to use polyrhythms in MD? Here are some music nerds around, who would love this kinda stuff
Please scroll to the bottom for some details.

EDIT2: The initial question, which was how to change the time signature during a project is now solved. See below post.


Hi,
I couldn't figure out yet, how to apply time signature changes within a song. Seems like once a time signature is chosen (e.g. 4/4) it's fixed for the whole project. I was also not able to synchronize the time signature with my DAW (Reaper).
Are time signature changes not possible with MDrummer or did I just miss the right knob? As a workaround I'm using multiple MD instances, but as you can imagine, it's not the perfect solution

[goldglob]

Rhythm Editor> Globals.
See the channels 1 to 9.
Each 'Channel' brings up a different 'Rhythm' and corresponds to a MIDI channel from DAW.
Let's say in DAW you have 4 bars of 4/4, then 4 bars of 3/4.
Use MIDI command notes set to channel 1 in DAW......feeding a 4/4 Rhythm on channel 1 in MD.
Use MIDI command notes set to channel 2 in DAW......feeding a 3/4 Rhythm on channel 2 in MD.

[Tyrs]

Thank you goldglob, works perfectly

[goldglob]

My pleasure, and (using my basic example) remember to put a 'disable' note at the end of the 4/4 section, otherwise Rhythm 1 will keep rolling along with Rhythm 2.

[Tyrs]

Hehe you just brought me one step further to solve the other difficultiy I have, namley to create polyrhythms in MD... playing two or more channels against each other will be the tool.... but the main question remains, how to synchron e.g. a 5/4 with 3/4 so that one bar has same length. Until now I was experimenting with the build in quantisation, where I use e.g. 5ths and in the other instance 7ths, but maybe there is another better way already in place. Any ideas?

[goldglob]

Good question. Yes, I think mucking about with quantisation might be the way. I just squeezed a 5/4 pattern into a 4/4 bar, but it's messy and looks all wrong doesn't it, because the grid is still 4/4 based.
I don't know.
Although, there's probably a way to have say one rhythm as 3/4, another as 5/4, then calculate the tempo changes needed in DAW to have the 3/4 bar and 5/4 bar taking the same time....mathematics!

Oh, hang on, you want the 3/4 and 5/4 superimposed.
Probably have to do them separately, then overlay them later?

Another thought, superimposing say 3/4 over 5/4 (both taking the same time) would be polymeter rather than polyrhythm...I think? (EDIT: Wrong, I had it round the wrong way).

[Tyrs]

Although, there's probably a way to have say one rhythm as 3/4, another as 5/4, then calculate the tempo changes needed in DAW to have the 3/4 bar and 5/4 bar taking the same time....mathematics!

I don't think my daw is capable to handle two tempos at once and I guess MD would be, but maybe Vojtech needs to tweak the right knob first

Just to be sure we're on the same page, here's a short vid with the explanation of what a polyrhythm is.

[goldglob]

^^^^
Ah right, I had polyrhythm and polymeter round the wrong way. On the same page now.
And yes, DAWs don't do two tempos at once (I believe).
My suggestion re tempo changes was for having the 3/4 and 5/4 in series, but juggling the tempos (with tempo mapping) such that the 3/4 and 5/4 took the same amount of actual time. But yes, superimposing them (in parallel) in real time is another thing. I can't think of a way to do that, other than your original quantize thing within MD.

[goldglob]

........And yes, a way for Vojtech to 'tweak the right knob' would amount to doing the maths and having each Rhythm's grid capable of being displayed with various 'polyrhythmic subdivision' choices (still being driven by the set DAW tempo). Sounds complicated, but I bet it's possible.

[Tyrs]

This post is now a FR

[MeldaProduction]

Sorry folks, not planned. Honestly I just don't have time and courage for such a thing . If you'd see the MDrummer megalomaniac code, you'd know why . But it should be farily easy to just use MIDI for that, e.g. using Song tab.